Is it just me, or do New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen feel less and less like a package deal by the week? Funny where four years of misery gets you.
After four years together in Buffalo, Daboll was hired as head coach by Schoen, who had just been named general manager following Dave Gettleman’s firing. Giants ownership made it a priority for their next coach to align with their new GM, making Schoen and Daboll the ideal pairing — or so they thought. After a promising playoff run in Year 1, it’s been nothing but chaos since, and a 2-6 start to the 2025 season might just be the final straw.
Big Blue has one job right now: do everything they can to support rookie quarterback — and potential franchise savior — Jaxson Dart. With star receiver Malik Nabers and rookie running back Cam Skattebo both sidelined for the season, this offense needs help.
Related: It only took Jaxson Dart five games for the NFL to start turning against him
The November 4 trade deadline is now under a week away, and the roster could desperately use a boost. But when asked about the deadline, Daboll didn’t exactly jump to vouch for his GM. Instead, he put the responsibility squarely on Schoen’s shoulders.
Brian Daboll deflects all trade deadline pressure onto Joe Schoen
When asked about his involvement in trade discussions, Dabs told reporters on Monday that he's leaving that to Schoen, and that his focus:
"Is the guys that we have on our football team right now and trying to improve them the best way that we can."Brian Daboll
That sounds great, but it's pretty clear there's a ceiling to what the players on the roster have to offer. So, while passing trade duties onto the general manager isn't earth-shattering in and of itself, outwardly putting the onus on his buddy is a choice.
The fact that Dabs didn’t even try to give Schoen cover publicly adds to the sense that it's every man for themselves — or at the very least, that Daboll knows how to subtly shift the spotlight with his seat heating up.
The G-Men are in an interesting spot as the trade deadline nears. They're 2-6 and have no business being buyers... in theory. But in reality, they really should be doing anything and everything they can to surround their 22-year-old signal-caller with talent.
The recent loss in Philadelphia saw at least two obvious chances for Dart's pass-catchers to make a play on a 50-50 ball, and they came up empty. It's definitely concerning. It's becoming impossible to complete deep balls as well.
Big Blue doesn't necessarily need to bring in a star like Jaylen Waddle, Brian Thomas Jr., or Chris Olave — a reliable guy who can get open and catch a contested pass will work. It's unlikely they'll target a running back via the trade market. They have Dante "Turbo" Miller on the practice squad, ready for the call.
At some point, someone’s got to take accountability for how thin this roster is built around their rookie quarterback. Whether that’s on Daboll, Schoen, or both, the optics of shrugging responsibility days before the trade deadline aren’t great. Am I reading too much into this? Sure.
But since they're both firmly on the hot seat, it's a curious time to start operating individually.